Winter Beanbag Warmer

 

            Today's Snack: Since we're working with dry beans today, but you can't eat them 'til they've been soaked and cooked and that takes a long time, take a shortcut. Just open a can of refried beans, heat on a stove or microwave, sprinkle a little shredded cheddar cheese on top, and use as a dip for warmed-up mini hotdogs, corn chips, carrot and celery sticks, or all of the above!

 

 

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Supplies:

 

An old, clean tube sock, child or adult size

 

Sewing needle and thread

 

Dry beans, such as northern or pinto beans

 

 

When the weather outside is cold and snowy, an adult in your life is probably doing a lot of shoveling and snow removal.

 

The best thing you can do is to get out there and help them. So make the offer!

 

Better yet, get out there and help them AND make not one, but two, of these personal beanbag warmers out of tube socks. Make one for you, and one for the adult whom you're going to help.

 

 

These fun beanbag warmers also make unusual and meaningful gifts for neighbors, friends, and just about anyone who has to go outside in the howling winter winds.

 

You can make one large one to wear around your neck and hold in place with a scarf, or, if you have child-sized socks, you can make two small ones to place in your coat pockets as hand-warmers.

 

Here's all you do:

 

1.      Find an old, stretchy, clean tube sock, perhaps one whose mate got lost in the laundry.

 

2.      Ask an adult who sews to teach you how to thread a needle, make a knot, and "darn" - which means "fix" -- any holes in the sock.

 

3.      Fill the sock with dry beans such as northern or pinto beans.

 

4.      One way to close off your beanbag is to tie off the end in a double knot.

 

5.      Or you could ask an adult to help you sew the end shut. Don't make it TOO full!

 

6.      Before you go out into the cold, microwave your beanbag warmer for two minutes on high power. Then put it on. Ahhhh!

 

 

Some people prefer using dry rice instead of dry beans. But beware: the fabric has to be tightly-woven or the rice will slip out. Athletic tube socks are designed to have space between the fibers so that your feet's perspiration can escape when you exercise. So they're great for this purpose.

 

Rice can work its way out of the weave, but dry beans cannot.

 

You might need a different kind of cloth, with less space between fibers, if you want to use rice instead of beans.

 

Footnote: (excuse the pun) These also are great to microwave at bedtime and put down by your feet on a cold winter's night.